Railway track and tie raising device



Feb. 2, 1932. c. M. BABST RAILWAY TRACK AND TIE RAISING DEVICE Filed Nov. 24, 1930 [N VENTOR (an M BflBsT A TTORNLV Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES CARL M. BABST, F CLEVELAND, OHIO RAILWAY TRACK AND TIE RAISING DEVICE Application filed November 24, 1930. Serial No. 497,811.

This invention relates to a device for raising rails and ties in railway maintenance work.

In maintaining a railway system, it frequently becomes necessary to raise the rails and ties so that ballast may be tamped under the cross ties, to support the tracks in their raised position and to bring them to any desired level. These results have heretofore been accomplished generally by the employment of a vast amount of manual labor, and have required great deal of time. The practice has been to dig out the ballast and place lifting jacks under the rail or tie, the jacks being actuated to raise the section of the track from its imbedded position in the roadway to the desired grade. This practice has become costly on account of present labor conditions and the time consumed in efiecting it. My invention is embodied in a device which operates in an expeditious manner to raise low joints, ties and rails at the same time. The invention comprises a device which may be adapted to a car or truck to be moved from place to place, or can be used expeditiously without the truck and can be moved from place to place with very little effort.

The above named and other features and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention shown in operative position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the forward segment of the lifting device; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the leverage yoke.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the lifting beam is indicated at 10, and this beam or bar is branched at one end into two legs 10a and 10?) which are fashioned into curved prongs or hooks 100 at the bottom, bent at approximately right angles to the vertical line of the legs. These hooks or prongs engage one rail 13, on the inside between its base and head, lying flush against the Web. The legs 10a and 10?) are so fashioned as to engage the rail immediately over ties 14 and 15 so that the beam is approximately in the middle of the space between two ties. When the legs of the beam are in position the beam itself projects over the opposite rail 19, and extends beyond the track. Over the beam 10 and in close proximity to the rail 19, is placed a yoke 11 having hooks or prongs 11a and 116 on the lower end, which engage the rail 19 between its base and head and lie flush against the web. When the device is thus in position, a jack 16 is placed on a suitable base rest 17 upon the ballast 18 between the ties and close up to the yoke 11. This jack may be of a ratchet, hydraulic or air lift or any other type.

When the jack is operated the rail 13 and ties 14 and 15 are lifted to the desired elevation, where they can be wedged up for tamping. The same operation is applied to the opposite rail 19, by reversing the position of the beam 10 and yoke 11.

As will be apparent the device is simple, readily disassembled and in case of emergency the yoke can be readily disengaged from the rail by a blow from a hammer and the device then quickly removed from the track.

With the use of this device, digging out of the ballast to place the jack is eliminated. The device will pick up low joints and the track can be brought to a perfect level by its use, with a considerable saving of labor.

I claim:

1. A railway track raising device comprising a beam having means at one end to engage one rail of the track, a yoke extending over the beam and having means to engage the other rail of the track, and a jack under the beam.

2. A railway track raising device comprising a beam having means at one end to engage one rail of the track, a yoke extending over the beam and having means to engage the other rail of the track, and a jack under the beam, said means comprising legs provided with hooks.

3. A railway track raising device comprising a beam having depending spreading legs, provided with hooks, at one end, to engage one rail of the track, a yoke straddling the beam and having hooks at its ends to engage the other rail of the track, and a jack under the beam, between the legsand the yoke.

In testimony whereof, I doafiix my s'igna ture.

CARL M BABST. 

